We have many older folks here and more than a few have mentioned they have difficulty using a soldering iron on the very tiny surface mount parts. How about a project for a DIY hot plate?
First computer 1959. Retired from my own computer company 2004.
Hardware - Expert in 1401, 360, fairly knowledge in PC plus numerous MPU's & MCU's
Major Languages - Machine language, 360 Macro Assembler, Intel Assembler, PL/I and PL1, Pascal, Basic, C plus numerous job control and scripting languages.
My personal scorecard is now 1 PC hardware fix (circa 1982), 1 open source fix (at age 82), and 2 zero day bugs in a major OS.
@xander
As a pre-built, how about
Anything seems possible when you don't know what you're talking about.
@will Too big for me, I am thinking of a much smaller plate not oven. Maybe as small as 30mm x 30mm up to 40mm x 60mm.
HOWEVER
The reason for my suggestion was to enable those who have trouble soldering due to unsteady hands. Now I see that the placing of the tiny SMD parts would also be an issue. There is a solution called a Pick-n-Place machine, but that is a pricey buy. It can be done DIY, but again I would need something smallish. It is basically a 3D printer with a different head. Maybe we can get Creality to make it. How about a multihead, PNP, Laser, CNC, etc.
https://mcuoneclipse.com/2018/06/26/building-a-diy-smt-pickplace-machine-with-openpnp/
First computer 1959. Retired from my own computer company 2004.
Hardware - Expert in 1401, 360, fairly knowledge in PC plus numerous MPU's & MCU's
Major Languages - Machine language, 360 Macro Assembler, Intel Assembler, PL/I and PL1, Pascal, Basic, C plus numerous job control and scripting languages.
My personal scorecard is now 1 PC hardware fix (circa 1982), 1 open source fix (at age 82), and 2 zero day bugs in a major OS.
@will Here are a couple ideas
and there are plenty more.
First computer 1959. Retired from my own computer company 2004.
Hardware - Expert in 1401, 360, fairly knowledge in PC plus numerous MPU's & MCU's
Major Languages - Machine language, 360 Macro Assembler, Intel Assembler, PL/I and PL1, Pascal, Basic, C plus numerous job control and scripting languages.
My personal scorecard is now 1 PC hardware fix (circa 1982), 1 open source fix (at age 82), and 2 zero day bugs in a major OS.
Anything seems possible when you don't know what you're talking about.
The one who has the most fun, wins!
@will That looks nice but about 2 times too big.
First computer 1959. Retired from my own computer company 2004.
Hardware - Expert in 1401, 360, fairly knowledge in PC plus numerous MPU's & MCU's
Major Languages - Machine language, 360 Macro Assembler, Intel Assembler, PL/I and PL1, Pascal, Basic, C plus numerous job control and scripting languages.
My personal scorecard is now 1 PC hardware fix (circa 1982), 1 open source fix (at age 82), and 2 zero day bugs in a major OS.
I got the large one so that I have the ability to go for larger footprints in the future AND it also allows me to 'bake' several small boards at the same time if I need to do so.
I was concerned that the edges won't heat to the same temperature as the middle, so the smaller units would not have a uniform heat across the bed and might result in poor solder joint along the periphery of the PCB.
Anything seems possible when you don't know what you're talking about.
@will Good reasons, and you have lot's of room. I don't and without the PNP machine couldn't place those small parts.
First computer 1959. Retired from my own computer company 2004.
Hardware - Expert in 1401, 360, fairly knowledge in PC plus numerous MPU's & MCU's
Major Languages - Machine language, 360 Macro Assembler, Intel Assembler, PL/I and PL1, Pascal, Basic, C plus numerous job control and scripting languages.
My personal scorecard is now 1 PC hardware fix (circa 1982), 1 open source fix (at age 82), and 2 zero day bugs in a major OS.
Just found out about this, now I have the option of using the rework hot air gun.
First computer 1959. Retired from my own computer company 2004.
Hardware - Expert in 1401, 360, fairly knowledge in PC plus numerous MPU's & MCU's
Major Languages - Machine language, 360 Macro Assembler, Intel Assembler, PL/I and PL1, Pascal, Basic, C plus numerous job control and scripting languages.
My personal scorecard is now 1 PC hardware fix (circa 1982), 1 open source fix (at age 82), and 2 zero day bugs in a major OS.
@tfmccarthy Your sister wants her Easy Bake Oven back, she's been looking for it for 54 years 🤣
Your sister wants her Easy Bake Oven back
Not gonna happen.
First, I'm the last of 9, and the nearest sister is 8 years older than me. So, it would have been my Easy Bake Oven.
That thing that wasn't on any of my birthday or Christmas lists. Bicycle, cowboy pistols, G.I. Joe were the toys I coveted. (I didn't get those either.)
When it came out, the first time I saw the thing (a neighbor girl got one for her birthday), everybody ... I mean, everybody ... said, "This thing's dangerous!" The first time I saw a toy you couldn't play with and didn't want to.
It was after eating those "cupcakes" that I realized uncooked cake mix and cookie dough didn't taste half-bad.
On the list of toys that are bad for kids, this one has a high ranking.
Even this new use makes me think of things erupting into flames, the smell of burnt plastic, and sparks shooting out of vents.
The one who has the most fun, wins!
@tfmccarthy Cowboy pistols, won't that turn you into a killer?
Flames, burnt plastic???? From a light bulb?
First computer 1959. Retired from my own computer company 2004.
Hardware - Expert in 1401, 360, fairly knowledge in PC plus numerous MPU's & MCU's
Major Languages - Machine language, 360 Macro Assembler, Intel Assembler, PL/I and PL1, Pascal, Basic, C plus numerous job control and scripting languages.
My personal scorecard is now 1 PC hardware fix (circa 1982), 1 open source fix (at age 82), and 2 zero day bugs in a major OS.